Gigi Dall'Igna insists Ducati ‘can’t let our guard down’

Ducati boss Gigi Dall’Igna says its MotoGP rivals showed “how fearsome they can be” in the Qatar Grand Prix and prompted a reminder to “never let our guard down”.

He Italian manufacturer, courtesy of Marc Marquez, stormed to another sprint/grand prix double in 2025 in Qatar as it is yet to be beaten in any race.

But a surprise turn leading the grand prix for KTM’s Maverick Vinales looked set to threaten Ducati’s dominance until the closing stages of last Sunday’s race.

Marquez was able to overhaul Vinales to win, though the Tech3 rider held Pecco Bagnaia at bay to finish second on the road - only to have his podium stripped of him due to a tyre pressure penalty.

Gigi Dall'Igna praises Ducati in Qatar

In his post-race debrief, Dall’Igna gushed over Ducati’s achievements but issued a warning to the marque after KTM’s challenge in Qatar.

“Another special weekend for our bikes and riders,” he said.

“Ducati scores a one-two with a podium that, once again, is clad in our colours, placing five bikes in the top six.

“A victory, the 21st in a row, with an intense flavour against strong opponents who just showed how fearsome they can be.

“A success that, in the light of how it unfolded, urges us never to let our guard down.”

Read more: Why masterful Marc Marquez Qatar MotoGP win is a hammer blow to his rivals

Dall’Igna called Marquez’s performance in Qatar “incomparable”, while noting that Bagnaia’s Sunday result was “worthy of his standing”.

“An incomparable Marc at the moment, in an exercise of style that yet again demonstrated all his strength, but above all his tactical ability and competitive sagacity in knowing how to read the race and modulate his resources at the most important moments, optimising manner and timing for the final attack,” he added.

“He thus logged his third success in four long races, the seventh out of the total eight run so far.

“Pole, sprint, GP and fastest lap on a track that had not seen him excel for more than 10 years: this was not one of his favourite tracks and this makes his success even more brilliant.

“I am also satisfied with Pecco's race, a good fight worthy of his standing, limited only by having had a grid start too far from the front line, which forced him to immediately deploy precious resources to claw his way back, being unable to preserve them for the race ending, in which inevitably all this took its toll.”